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REP LIEU AND DEL PLASKETT CALL ON FEMA TO EXECUTE RESILIENT, ECO-FRIENDLY REBUILD OF POWER GRIDS IN PUERTO RICO AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

December 5, 2017

Press Release

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) and Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands) led a group of 78 Members calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to invest in resilient energy infrastructure during Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma recovery efforts. The Members urged FEMA to invest in renewable energy technology in hard hit areas like Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where outdated electrical grids have hindered expedited rebuilding efforts.

In the letter, the Members write:

“The power crises in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands clearly demonstrate the need to invest in electric infrastructure that is resilient and able to withstand powerful storms like Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Restoring the same type of grid that will be vulnerable to the same type of hurricane would be a monumental waste of taxpayer resources and an injustice to the American citizens living there. As such, we ask that rebuilding efforts on these islands include investment in a more resilient power grid, deploying renewable energy technologies and employing distributed generation systems. In recent years, hurricanes and other natural disasters have occurred at alarming rates. Rather than rebuilding dated electric grids, focusing on resiliency will improve our energy security and ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.”